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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27752098">Here Comes the Sun</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/AYeti/pseuds/AYeti'>AYeti</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Supergirl (TV 2015)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - No Powers, Angst with a Happy Ending, Body Worship, Cunnilingus, Edging, F/F, Fingerfucking, Hair-pulling, Idiots in Love, Lena likes hickeys, Mutual Pining, Vaginal Fingering, but barely, but it's pretty vanilla imo, it's cute, it's plot for the first 10000 words, mild exhibitonism, slight angst, then its smut for 2000, then plot again, there are some barely-there kinks, they have sex at the end</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 20:49:05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>13,220</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27752098</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/AYeti/pseuds/AYeti</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>In an effort to find out what she really needs out of life, Lena moves to a small beach town to relax (whatever that means) and reflect on what she truly wants.<br/>What happens when her next-door neighbor seems determined to beat Lena in an arms-race of niceness that seems to have no end in sight, and how will Lena ever figure out what devious plot drives her new neighbor's actions?  </p><p>OR</p><p>Lena has trust issues in the face of kindness, but Kara just has a huge crush on the beautiful woman who moves in next door. </p><p>Based on a tumblr post that I adore: https://yotoob.tumblr.com/post/124770060074/weve-bought-a-new-house-and-our-new-next-door</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Kara Danvers/Lena Luthor</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>890</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Gays in Earth 38</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Here Comes the Sun</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I want to thank everyone for their kind messages. I don't know how to respond to that kindness, but know that I have read all of your well-wishes and that I appreciate every single one very dearly. </p><p>It's so nice to know that there are people out there who care. &lt;3 </p><p>Anyway, enjoy this! I had a lot of fun writing it.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The ocean was supposed to be calming, and in a way it was, but buying the two-story, periwinkle blue house with the white porch and matching balcony was much less of a distraction than running an entire company had been. Now there was nothing but free time, which left Lena uneasy as opposed to relaxed. </p><p>Lena had needed a change, that much she knew. The constant late nights and endless battle with her public image were not healthy for her, nor was her determination to pull her entire family history out of the mud and single-handedly rebuild it into the mountain it had once been. Lena simply couldn’t do it. She couldn’t convince the world that not all Luthors were bad, and she understood that people had a right to think so. Historically, they were; Luthors were vile, and having one Luthor that wasn’t couldn’t erase every bad thing Lena’s family ever did. </p><p>Lena needed a fresh start; something entirely new, so she researched areas that were the polar opposite of where she had spent her life thus far. </p><p>She spent weeks searching for small towns in rural areas where there were no skyscrapers or nosy and biased reporters running about to drag Lena’s name through the mud. Lena researched what type of dwelling was the most relaxing from a scientific standpoint and before she knew it, she had resigned from her position as the CEO, hired the most capable woman she could find, and beyond owning L-Corp, she had very little to do with it. </p><p>After her break, she would return and work in the labs (something that made her happy), but until she was ready, Lena found a home in Midvale. </p><p>Or at least what was supposed to be home. </p><p>Lena sighed as she opened her front door to gather her empty garbage bins. </p><p>She hadn’t had the best of luck with her new house. The salty sea air had aged it and doors creaked, the windows stuck, and seagulls had torn up her garbage bags and littered the street with Lena’s refuse. </p><p>Again. </p><p>Lena ground her teeth as she stomped down her painted wooden steps and cut across her perfectly manicured lawn. Why the stupid birds had to tip over her recycling too, Lena didn’t know. It wasn’t like there was food in there. Lena didn’t know why the seagulls only seemed interested in <em> her </em>garbage. Everyone else’s was left alone, week after week. Perhaps the universe was trying to tell her that she didn’t deserve a break or a nice house by the beach.  </p><p>The sun beat down and Lena thought, not for the first time, that she ought to have chosen a place with a little (or a lot) less sun. </p><p>As she gathered the strewn about cardboard and newspapers, Lena wondered if she should be grateful that her biggest issue in life was seagulls. It was better than assassination attempts by most people’s standards.</p><p> Lena straightened up, arms full of recycling, and turned to bring the cardboard back to its bin. When Lena turned, she gasped and everything she had gathered toppled back out of her arms as she jumped. </p><p>“Sorry!” the reason Lena was startled said, “sorry, I just thought I should give you these.” </p><p>Lena put a hand to her chest and glared at the woman. Or tried to glare. The woman’s nervous shifting and pleading blue eyes didn’t exactly invite wrath. She looked like she’d never been yelled at in her life. She looked sweet, with her blonde hair and the way she bit her bottom lip, cheeks flushed. </p><p>Lena sighed, looking down at what the woman offered, and raised an eyebrow. </p><p>“Garbage bags?” Lena asked. “I don’t understand.” </p><p>“They’re seagull proof,” the woman said with a grin. She adjusted the box so Lena could see the face of it better and tapped on the image of an angry seagull. “So you don’t have to collect your garbage twice every week.” </p><p>“You’re kidding,” Lena said as she eyed the box. She’d never heard of bird-proof garbage bags, and she was a scientist. “That’s a real thing? </p><p>“Of course!” the blonde said. “How else do you think only your garbage gets torn apart every week?” </p><p>“I thought the universe was playing some sort of cruel joke,” Lena said. </p><p>“You’ll believe that, but not in seagull-proof garbage bags?” </p><p>Lena had to suppress a smile. She held out her hand and the woman beamed as she handed the box over. Lena asked, “What do I owe you?”</p><p>“Huh? Owe me?”</p><p>“For these.” Lena raised the box in the air. </p><p>“Oh, don’t worry about it, it’s nothing,” the woman waved off. “Consider it an apology present for not bringing you a welcome gift after you moved in. I did try to bake you a cake but… well, let’s just say it’s for the best that there were no witnesses to that disaster.” The woman scratched the back of her neck and if Lena had not been so suspicious of the kindness, she might have been endeared. </p><p>If there was one thing Lena knew with absolute certainty, it was that nothing in this world was free. She had been taught that lesson time and time again, and she played the game well. She couldn’t figure out what this woman could want, though. </p><p>“Regardless, I’ll pay you back in equal measure when the time comes,” Lena said as she plastered on her businesswoman smile. </p><p>“There’s no need,” the woman said again, and then glanced down at the pile of cardboard Lena had dropped. The woman picked it up, ignorant of Lena’s indignance, and started walking toward the bins. “I’m Kara by the way. Kara Danvers. I live next door.” </p><p>The house next door was a third the size of Lena’s, and the lawn was a little overgrown, the garage needed a fresh coat of paint, and the basketball net in the driveway seemed to have scarcely survived through years of Midvale storms, but compared to Lena’s house, Kara’s had some degree of greater appeal. </p><p>There was a beat-up blue chevy in the driveway, and flower beds ran across the entire front of the house, creating explosions of colour that might have had an order at one point, but had grown into well-loved chaos. There were lilies and sunflowers, tulips of many colours, daisies, and chrysanthemums, and a few Lena couldn’t name. It was charming and beautiful, much like the woman who lived there. </p><p>A woman who gave away boxes of seagull-proof garbage bags and helped pick up other peoples’ trash without any expectation for reward. </p><p>Lena didn’t believe it. She frowned at Kara, who smiled even though she was herding loose saran wrap and balled up blueprints that weren’t hers. </p><p>“Are you going to introduce yourself too?” Kara asked after they had returned everything to Lena’s bins. </p><p>“Lena Luthor.” Lena was a lot of things, but a coward wasn't one of them. She wouldn't hide from her last name. It was her burden to bear, even if people ran from it. </p><p>Bt Kara Danvers did not run.</p><p>“It’s nice to meet you, Lena Luthor. See you around.” Kara smiled, the creases beside her eyes growing behind her glasses before she turned on her heel and walked toward the little white house with the colourful flowers. </p><p>Lena frowned after Kara, her confusion growing with each step Kara took. </p><p>People weren’t <em> nice </em>like that for no reason. Not for no reason, and especially not to Lena. </p><p>She glowered down at the unimposing box in her hands and wondered what exactly Kara was trying to get out of her. Lena was no fool, and she wouldn’t let some cute blonde get the upper hand by having Lena indebted to her. Lena wouldn’t stand for it. </p><p>She pounded back toward her house (odd to be wearing running shoes instead of heels) determined to do something nice for Kara so that they would be even, and then they could both forget about the whole thing, and Lena could get back to relaxing, or whatever it was she was supposed to be doing in Midvale. </p><hr/><p>So maybe figuring out a single nice thing to do for a stranger wasn’t Lena’s strong suit. It had been a week and she still hadn’t thought of a single thing. The internet wasn’t exactly helpful. Everything seemed too random or too personal, and Lena wasn’t sure what was appropriate. Nobody had ever welcomed her as the new neighbor when she had moved into penthouses, and generally speaking, Luthor mansions were designed to keep people out. </p><p>There was one thing to do really. </p><p>Reconnaissance. </p><p>Lena would have to study Kara to find some small gift that was both valued similarly to garbage bags and useful to Kara. </p><p>Lena did consider that it might be seen as a bit strange that she was essentially spying on her neighbor, but she didn’t see a way around it. Kara started it, and Lena would finish it, and if that meant noticing that Kara went for a jog at six in the morning during the week and stretched in her back yard after, or that she knew enough about cars to change a tire, or that Kara ordered <em> way </em>too much fast food, then so be it. </p><hr/><p>By the second week, Lena had learned all she could by simple observation alone and was no closer to gaining any useful intel. Kara was often coming and going, but she didn’t seem to have a set schedule, so Lena didn’t know where or if Kara worked. Lena would have to get closer without giving herself away. </p><p>She dressed in her least favourite pair of jeans and an old college hoodie, slipped on her runners, and slid open the patio doors at the back of her house. The baren garden boxes that framed the edge of her porch left Lena feeling like them; empty, but she pushed through the metaphor for her life to look at the ocean. </p><p>From the height of her porch, Lena could see into Kara’s backyard where the woman knelt in the sand beside her own garden boxes which were thriving with tomatoes, peppers, and various other vegetation. Kara wasn’t alone this time. A woman with cropped reddish hair leaned against the box with one hand on her hip and a glass of amber liquid in the other. </p><p>Lena pursed her lips. Maybe she would overhear something useful. She glanced at her garden boxes and milled closer to them so that she could pretend to be rummaging around in the dirt. </p><p>Out of the corner of her eye, the red-haired woman gestured with the nearly empty glass and Kara turned toward Lena. Lena couldn’t help but glance up at the movement and Kara beamed and waved when their eyes met. Lena looked away as fast as she could, fighting the blush that threatened to spread across her cheeks. </p><p>In Lena’s peripheral, Kara stood and wiped her dirty hands on her already stained jeans before she sauntered off toward the shed at the edge of her property. </p><p>Lena hazarded a glance and regretted it immediately when the red-haired woman raised her empty glass in some sort of greeting. Lena ignored that too. </p><p>She didn’t look up again until the back gate of Kara’s rickety, wooden fence creaked open and Kara herself bounded over to the bottom of Lena’s deck with a worn cardboard box. </p><p>“Hey, Lena! Thinking of gardening?” Kara asked. </p><p>The sun hit Kara’s hair in a honey-glow light that surrounded her smile like sun rays. Lena shook her head and cleared her throat. </p><p>“Yes. Gardening.” Lena nodded. </p><p>“I couldn’t help but notice that you weren’t using any tools and I thought that might mean you didn’t have any. You can borrow my spares for now until you can get your own if you like.” Kara set the box on the bottom step and rubbed her sweaty forehead, leaving a line of dirt behind. Lena opened her mouth to refuse; she already owed Kara for the garbage bags, and she couldn’t be double in debt!</p><p>Kara continued before Lena could speak. “It’s a bit late in the season for vegetation but you could probably get some nice fall flowers going if you start them soon!” </p><p>“I-”</p><p>“I can help! I love to garden!" </p><p>“Real smooth, sis,” the red-haired woman hollered from Kara’s yard and Kara grimaced before she turned to the woman. </p><p>“Shut up, Alex!” Kara tried to shout to the woman and whisper at the same time, which made for an interesting combination. The blush that spread across Kara’s lightly freckled cheeks wasn’t distracting to Lena at all. No, not at all. “My sister-” Kara scowled at the woman “-likes to embarrass me in front of new friends. Anyway, return the tools whenever!” </p><p>Kara smiled through her blush, adjusted her glasses, and scrambled back over to her yard where Alex was doubled over in laughter. </p><p>Not only was Lena in <em> double debt </em> with Kara, but now she needed to learn how to <em> garden. </em> </p><hr/><p>It wasn’t that hard. Lena knew how to test PH and made sure her soil was optimal for flowers. That part was scientific, and it wasn’t exactly a challenge to put seeds in the dirt and water them when the ground seemed too dry. Lena was used to the near-immediate results of her lab work, though. In the lab, she would know right away if her latest project worked or not. With the seeds, Lena had to wait. She had half a mind to dig them up every day just to see if they’d sprouted yet, but knew that would be counterproductive. </p><p>What if she waited and cared for the seeds as directed by their packaging, and they decided not to grow anyway? She’d have waited and done all that work for nothing. Lena sighed as she frowned over at her garden boxes. She’d taken to checking on them every morning and had set up a table and chair next to the seeds where she drank her morning coffee before watering them. </p><p>The sun was already too bright, even that early, so Lena hid under a large umbrella. </p><p>“You know,” said a voice Lena was beginning to recognize, “most people move into a beach house so that they can <em> enjoy </em>the sun.” </p><p>“Good morning, Kara.” Lena set her hot mug of coffee on the side table and turned to see Kara, who stood in tight spandex pants, running shoes, and a dark blue sports bra. Anything else Lena was going to say, she forgot about. It wasn’t fair for Kara to stand there with <em> that </em> smile and <em> those </em> abs. Actual abs. The <em> nerve.  </em></p><p>Lena shook her head to clear her thoughts. </p><p>“I’m having a game night at my house on Friday,” Kara said.</p><p>“Oh, that’s… nice.” Lena stared over the banister as Kara shifted from foot to foot. </p><p>“Yeah, it’s really fun,” Kara said. “Everyone on the lane is coming and I thought it would be a good time to introduce you.” </p><p>“Introduce me?” Lena asked. She had never been invited to a game night or any other sort of social event in any other place she’d lived. Perhaps nobody in Midvale knew what being a Luthor meant, but that seemed unlikely. One thing was certain; Kara was up to something. </p><p>Lena had half a mind to say no, but the combination of Kara fidgeting with her glasses and the prospect of gaining intel was much too promising for Lena to refuse. </p><p>Lena cleared her throat which had become dry. “What time?” </p><p>“Seven!” Kara beamed. “You’ll have fun, I promise!” </p><p>Lena smiled as politely as she could before Kara waved and turned to begin to jog toward the road. </p><p>If Lena’s eyes traced over Kara’s broad shoulders as she ran away, well, nobody else was around to see it. </p><hr/><p>If Lena spent more time in front of the mirror than she usually did as she got ready that Friday, she blamed it on meeting a group of new people. She absolutely was not trying to impress any blonde women. </p><p>Lena attributed her sweaty palms to her nerves about the Game Night, and certainly nothing more. As per the recommendation of the internet, Lena had brought a bottle of wine along, though she didn’t consider it as a Nice Thing to make herself even with Kara. It was what one did when they were invited over to someone’s house. They brought a gift. Lena tightened her grip on the bottle before she knocked on Kara’s door. It’s pine green paint flaked off a little more. </p><p>The door opened quickly, jarring Lena. “You came!” Kara shouted and opened the door wider so that Lena could step in. </p><p>The light, hardwood floors suited the beach house, and Kara had several plants in hanging baskets by the large bay windows and around her small house. </p><p>Several people sat nearby in the living room, where Kara had three couches surrounding a comically large coffee table. A small, brown-haired man waved to Lena excitedly, though Lena didn’t know him. </p><p>“I brought wine.” Lena raised the bottle toward Kara, but it was snatched out of her hand from the side. </p><p>“Awesome!” the red-haired woman, Alex, said as she took the bottle. “I’ll take that.” </p><p>“Alex!” Kara complained as her sister sauntered over to the kitchen with the wine, but Alex stuck her tongue out and continued on her search for glasses. “Sorry about that.” </p><p>“It’s fine,” Lena said. </p><p>“Come meet everyone!” Kara grabbed Lena’s hand and pulled her further into the house. “Lena, this is Winn, James, Nia, Brainy, Kelly, and my sister Alex stole your wine.” Kara pointed to each person in turn and they either waved or nodded at Lena. “Guys, this is Lena.” </p><p>“Yeah!” Winn said. “Your work on nanogenes was amazing! I was sad when you slowed down on science to focus more on business.” </p><p>So they <em>did </em>know what being a Luthor meant, then. That just proved that Kara was trying to get something out of her. </p><p>“When I go back, I’ll be in the lab again,” Lena said and Winn’s smile grew. </p><p>“That’s great! What kind of projects will you-”</p><p>“Winn,” Kara interrupted. “Maybe she didn’t resign and buy a beach house across the country so she could talk about work.” </p><p>"Oh, right. Sorry, Lena,” Winn said. He seemed genuine and polite, which was much more disconcerting than the fake smiles and frequent attempts at backstabbing Lena was used to. It was almost like nobody in Midvale knew what her family had done. </p><p>“Who wants fancy wine?” Alex called from the kitchen. Everyone raised their hand and Lena chuckled at them. </p><p>Nia got up to help Alex carry over the glasses and soon everyone was seated on the couches around the coffee table. several board game boxes were teetering next to it. </p><p>“Where do we want to start?” Kara asked as she settled in beside Lena on the smallest couch. Lena took a sip of wine to cover the blush that spread across her cheeks when Kara’s thigh pressed into her own.</p><p>“Settlers?” Winn suggested.</p><p>“Tokaido?” Nia countered. </p><p>Lena glanced over at the staggering tower of boxes and swallowed. She didn’t know how to play any of them. </p><p>“We should let Lena pick because she’s new,” Kelly said. </p><p>“Oh, I’m not sure that’s a good idea. I’ve never played any of those,” Lena said. </p><p><em> “What?” </em> Kara squealed. “You’ve <em> never </em>played monopoly? Oh gosh, okay. Well, we’ll partner up so I can teach you. Don’t worry, I’m the best.” </p><p>Alex threw a corn chip at Kara’s face. “You are <em> not </em>. You suck.” </p><p>“History suggests otherwise,” Kara grinned and then ate the corn chip. </p><p>They started with Settlers of Catan, and Lena had to fight to keep her face impassive as Kara leaned in close to explain things, or to whisper suggestions in her ear so that nobody else would figure out their strategy. Being pressed so close to Kara’s surprisingly chiseled form was distracting.  </p><p>They didn’t win, but Kara didn’t seem bothered for someone who had been so competitive before. She kept smiling at Lena and had endless patience with Lena’s questions and distraction (though Lena hoped Kara didn’t know why Lena was distracted). </p><p>“What else do you have to eat?” Nia asked after they had lost their third game in a row. </p><p>Kara frowned over at her. “Just… this.” She gestured to the chips and dip on one side of the table. </p><p>“I thought you said you were going to bake mini muffins,” James said. </p><p>“As if,” Alex snorted out. “When does that ever work out? You guys should know to bring your own snacks at this point.”</p><p>“Hey!” Kara complained. “I can make food!” </p><p>“Tell that to mom and the several fires you started in her kitchen,” Alex mumbled. </p><p>“<em> Hey!” </em>Kara repeated through a blush. </p><p>So Kara couldn’t bake or cook. That explained the multitude of food deliveries and Kara’s comments about being unable to bake Lena a welcome cake when they’d first met. Maybe Lena could use that to her advantage and finally get even with Kara’s favors. </p><p>Lena groaned internally. Not only had she had to learn how to garden because of this stupid game Kara was playing with her, but now she had to learn how to bake? Lena knew how to cook well enough, but she hadn’t baked much in her life. </p><p>Still, if it made her even with Kara, she would do it. Anything to get out of her debt. And… Kara <em> really </em>liked food if the way she demolished the chips was any indication, and it might be nice to see her smile like that because of something Lena made. </p><p><em> Stupid, </em> Lena chastized herself. <em> Get a grip. </em></p><p>Despite Kara’s invitation and kindness being an obvious ploy to get something out of Lena, she did have a nice time. Brainy and Winn were smart and they talked about science, but Nia reigned them in to keep the conversation fun for everyone. Alex was kind of sarcastic but Lena liked that about her. It offset Kelly’s kindness nicely, and they made a cute couple. </p><p>James was a bit aloof, but warmed up quickly, though Kara kept interrupting him when he’d try to talk to Lena which was… odd. </p><p>Kara wasn’t even upset when they lost every single game by the end of the night. Lena took that as a sign that Kara was absolutely biding her time and only acting nice so that she could get something out of Lena later. </p><p>Despite that, everyone welcomed Lena to the neighborhood with no ill wishes for her last name, or the crimes her family had committed. It was almost like having friends, and Lena thought, just for a moment, that perhaps this was what she’d been missing in her life. She even laughed, <em> really </em>laughed, when Brainy took over the entire Monopoly board and Nia tucked her fake dollar bills into his belt. Kara had gaped at her for a moment after that; as if she’d never heard anybody laugh before, but she quickly shook her head and turned back to the coffee table to argue with the gang. </p><p>Lena almost regretted that it was a ploy to gain intel on Kara. </p><hr/><p>Kara waved to Lena every morning as Lena sat on her back porch waiting for her flowers to sprout. It had been jarring at first, to have someone give Lena the time of day, but after the few weeks they had been acquaintances, Lena found she rather enjoyed being considered worthy of that simple morning wave as Kara started her jog.  </p><p>One morning when tiny, green stems with the littlest leaves Lena had ever seen started poking out of the ground in her garden boxes, Lena couldn’t help but smile when Kara waved. </p><p>Kara tripped over her own feet but steadied herself before she could fall, blushed as she stared at Lena, and then jogged toward the road with wide eyes and a bright face. Odd. </p><p>Lena turned back toward her garden boxes to admire the little sprouts of flowers, glad she'd been patient enough to care for them. </p><p>It was rewarding to see all of her efforts turn into those little, growing leaves. Lena was excited about them. It was real, tangible proof that she could care for a living thing and succeed in that without killing it. Maybe if she could do that, there was hope she wouldn’t always be seen as only a Luthor who destroyed everything she touched. Maybe she could learn to take care of herself, too.</p><p>Lena caressed the infinitesimal leaf of the nearest plant before she finished her coffee and decided that she’d go into town for ingredients for some sort of dessert to bake for Kara. </p><p>Her debt had gone on long enough. </p><hr/><p>Small towns were nothing like Metropolis. Lena was used to people averting their gaze, ignoring her at best, or screaming at her and throwing hot coffee in her face at worst. Well, the assassination attempts were worse, but the point still stood. Lena was not accustomed to the people on the sidewalk who smiled and greeted her. </p><p>She wasn’t used to people introducing themselves for no other reason than because Lena was new in town. She didn’t expect an older gentleman to hold the door to the small grocery shop open for her, or for the attendant to show her where everything was because he’d never served Lena before. </p><p>The people of Midvale seemed to do each other favors at every turn, and Lena wondered how they kept up with who owed them in exchange for each favor. Did they have notebooks filled with kind acts they had done? How did they value each task? It seemed too complex a currency to keep track of. </p><p>The man who had held the door open for Lena stood in line behind her, but he only had a loaf of bread and a couple of bananas, so Lena suggested he skip her in line. At least she could repay her debt to him immediately. </p><p>He smiled brightly at her. “I knew you’d be a good addition to town. So polite,” he said as he put his items on the counter. There was no conveyor belt like there was in chain grocery stores, but a plain wooden counter decorated with pins and bumper stickers for Midvale, along with maps for hiking trails in the surrounding forest, and good spots for surfing along the beach. </p><p>The loud<em> ding </em>of the old cash register startled Lena, and she jumped a little as the cashier gave the old man his change. </p><p>“Ah, I was wondering when you’d stop by! I’m Bonnie,” the woman behind the counter said as Lena placed down the various baking items in her basket. </p><p>“You were?” Lena asked with suspicion. </p><p>“Of course! It’s not every day a beautiful woman moves into town,” she said. “And it looks like you’re baking. For anyone in particular?” </p><p>Lena blushed as images of Kara’s smile flashed through her mind, and then turned a deeper red at the woman’s knowing smile. “Repaying someone a favor.” </p><p>“That’s not really how favors work around here, dear, but I’m sure Kara will appreciate it anyway.” </p><p>“What? How did you know it was-”</p><p>“Oh, she’s always out and about helping everyone. Fixed my solar panel last week, and brings old Mr. Miller his groceries every Monday. I knew it wouldn’t take long for her to be over at yours helping out there too.” </p><p>“Oh.” Lena’s face fell. So Kara was just… like that? Lena tried to hide the odd sensation of disappointment she had as she handed her items over to Bonnie. </p><p>If not for repayment, then why would Kara go out of her way to be so kind to everyone? To a Luthor? Lena understood the compulsion to help others intimately, but she knew it only on a grand scale. She was compelled to solve world hunger, get clean drinking water across the globe, cure cancer. She hadn’t considered she could just help out where she could with something as simple as seagull-proof garbage bags. </p><p>“No need to look so troubled, dear,” Bonnie said. “The way I hear it, she’s been going extra out of her way to make you feel welcome if you catch my meaning.” </p><p>Lena’s eyes widened. “I’m not sure what you mean.” </p><p>Bonnie chuckled as she packed Lena’s groceries into brown paper bags. “Of course not, dear. Good luck with the baking. Kara likes cake!” </p><p>“Thank you,” Lena said, determined to pretend her face wasn’t red as she gathered her bags and walked out of the store. </p><p>One of the good things about Midvale was that everything was nearby. There was no traffic, no horns blaring, no crosswalk lights to wait at. There was only one traffic light in town, eternally blinking its cautioning yellow. Anything Lena needed was tucked into the main street, aptly named Main Street, which was a five-minute walk from her house. </p><p>The little used book store that doubled as a library sat next to a coffee shop. There was a seamstress instead of a clothing outlet, and a hardware store with the letters of its name faded from time. Every one of the small shops was local, and the quaintness of it all endeared Lena to the small town more than she could have anticipated. She never thought she would know what that homey feeling people talked about felt like, but Midvale made her feel peace she’d never known before. </p><p>The people of Midvale simply cared for one another because that was how it worked. A small group of kids helped a woman pile wood while her husband greased the chains of their bikes. If someone opened a door, they checked to see if they could hold it for someone. People bartered jars of pickles in exchange for eggs or paintings, and Lena… she could get used to that. </p><p>Midvale had its own small subculture written with kindness and Lena, for the first time, wanted to be a part of that, but she couldn’t help but wonder how these people could be so kind to her, an outsider and a Luthor. </p><p>What had Bonnie meant when she said Kara was going <em> extra </em>out of her way to be kind to Lena? Perhaps that meant that Kara did expect her to return the favor? </p><p>Lena sighed as she approached her house and struggled to tuck both of her grocery bags under one arm so she could fish her keys out of her pocket. </p><p>Kara, as she often did, knelt in front of the colourful flowers at the front of her house. There was a pile of them in the grass beside her, and she looked up at the sound of Lena’s jingling keys. </p><p>“Oh!” Kara said, “let me help you with those.” Kara stood and picked up the bundle of flowers before she walked over to Lena and took one of the bags from her. “I was just about to head over to your house to see if you were home!” </p><p>“You were?” Lena asked as they walked up her front steps. “Why?” </p><p>“Oh,” Kara blushed, and had her hands not been full, Lena thought she might have adjusted her glasses. “To give you these.” Kara lifted the bouquet of daisies and sweetpea flowers from her garden. </p><p>“You… wanted to give me flowers?” Lena asked and the light pink of Kara’s cheeks deepened to red. </p><p>“Yes. Well, they’re going out of season anyway, and I thought they might look nice in your house since your flowers aren’t quite grown enough yet.” </p><p>Lena glanced between Kara and the bouquet, aware that she should take it, but her hands were full, and nobody had ever given her flowers before, and was Kara only being friendly again, or was the bouquet some sort of romantic gesture? </p><p>Lena blushed too before she turned and opened her door so that she could lead Kara into the house. “I’ll get a vase for them.”</p><p>Kara followed Lena through the house as if she’d been in it before, and Lena thought she probably had been if Bonnie’s intel about Kara helping everyone out was correct. </p><p>Lena and Kara deposited the grocery bags on the counter before Lena set her keys in the bowl in the middle. She opened her cupboards but quickly learned that she did not own a vase.</p><p>“Will this work?” Lena asked as she pulled a large glass pitcher from her cupboard. </p><p>“It’s perfect.” Kara grinned so Lena filled it up with water and set it on the table next to the bags. Kara placed the flowers in the jug and nodded. </p><p>“Thank you,” Lena said. “For the flowers.”</p><p>“Psh, it’s the neighborly thing to do,” Kara waved off. </p><p>In all the research Lena had done, bouquet giving was not on any lists for neighborly gifts, but she wasn’t exactly an expert in the field. </p><p>“Right. Neighborly,” Lena nodded as she tried to rid herself of the weight she felt pressing down on her stomach. </p><p>Lena knew disappointment well, and it shrouded her like an old friend. It almost would have been better if Kara was trying to get something out of her. It would be less painful than Kara being, well, a beautiful woman, whose kindness extended to friends and strangers in equal measure, who had <em> actual abs.  </em></p><p>“Any luck with your daisies?” Kara asked. </p><p>Lena brightened at the memory of her newly sprouted flowers. “Yes actually. They’re starting to poke out of the dirt.” </p><p>“That’s awesome! See, I knew you had a green thumb.” Kara put both of her thumbs up and Lena chuckled at her. “I did notice your front hedges are a bit overgrown. Do you have a hedge trimmer?” </p><p>“Yeah, you lent me some in that box of gardening tools,” Lena said.</p><p>“Oh, you can’t use those ones. It’ll take ages!” </p><p>“I guess I could hire someone-”</p><p>“No need,” Kara waved off, “I’ve got electric hedge trimmers. I’ll stop by to help you with it tomorrow. All you need to do is hold the ladder and I’ll take care of the rest.” </p><p>Kara’s smile was entirely too earnest. </p><p>Maybe the universe <em>was </em>playing some sort of cruel joke on Lena after all, moving her so close to someone like Kara, but unable to be with her because of course, Kara wouldn’t be interested. Lena fidgeted with her fingers as Kara rambled on about proper hedge care and how she liked to trim them, and how she did it for the old family that used to live in Lena’s house. </p><p>Maybe Lena couldn’t befriend Kara properly because Kara was simply that kind to everyone, but she could still try to make sure Kara got what she deserved. </p><p>She could bake Kara a nice cake, and any amount of other niceties while she stayed in Midvale. </p><p>The prospect of entering an arms race of niceness with Kara was daunting since Lena was already so behind, but if Lena could run a fortune 500 company, she could certainly bake a cake. </p><p>“I should get back to clearing my gardens. I’ll see you later?” Kara asked as she backed toward the door. </p><p>“Later,” Lena agreed with a smile, a genuine one, she realized. </p><hr/><p>If Lena thought holding the ladder would be an easy job, she was sorely mistaken. </p><p>Kara had elected to wear a grey tank top over her usual gardening jeans, and the material was pulled so tight over her abdomen that Lena could make out the contours of her muscles. Kara had gloves on, and brought them both dorky little goggles ‘<em>f</em><em>or safety, Lena, don’t you think they’re cute?’ </em>and dammit, Lena did, at least on Kara, anyway. </p><p>Kara’s bare arms flexed as she held the hedge-trimmers over her head, and though Lena was supposed to be focusing on holding the ladder, she couldn’t keep her eyes away from the way Kara’s jeans clung to her hips and the shapely curve of her ass. </p><p>“Lena?” </p><p>Lena started out of her thoughts and tore her eyes away from Kara’s butt as fast as she could, red-faced. “What?” </p><p>“I said you can let go. We need to move the ladder now.” Kara grinned down at her and Lena breathed a sigh of relief. She hadn’t been caught. </p><p>Kara climbed down the ladder and wiped the sweat on her brow with her forearm, which Lena thought she shouldn’t find so attractive, but she did. She <em> really </em>did. “Do you think I could have some water?” Kara asked. </p><p>“Mhm,” Lena squeaked out and then cleared her throat because she was Lena Fucking Luthor, and nobody reduced her to a response as pathetic as that. “Uh, yes. One moment.” </p><p>She stalked into the cool air of her house, glad to be able to blame her red cheeks on the sun. She filled two glasses with water and downed hers in an attempt to cool her out-of-check libido before she brought the second one out to Kara. </p><p>Any work the water had done to cool Lena was immediately erased as Lena’s fingers brushed Kara’s while handing her the glass. The condensation dripped down the glass as Kara drank, gathering at the bottom until it fell in a droplet to Kara’s neck, and then down, down, down her chest, disappearing into her tank top. </p><p>“Thanks,” Kara said after she downed the water. “Hey, you look a little red, are you feeling okay?” Kara reached up to press the back of her hand to Lena’s forehead. “Oh wow, you’re really hot, too. Maybe you should go lay down. I’ll get Alex to help with the rest. We’re almost done anyway and she’s coming over soon.”  </p><p>“I…” Lena’s brain was not working. All that played on a loop in her mind was the water droplets and how she longed to follow their trail with her mouth. Kara stared down at Lena through the ridiculous goggles, but the absolute concern there could not be faked. Kara parted and wet her lips, and Lena wanted to lean in, to taste and feel Kara, to know what it was like to be with someone so genuine. Instead, Lena said, “I should go lay down.” </p><p>Lena took the glass back and, ignoring Kara’s look of concern, shuffled back to her house as quickly as she could. </p><p>As soon as the door closed behind her, Lena turned to press her forehead to its cool surface. When had she started to actually <em>like </em>Kara? </p><p>Kara’s warm smile as she offered Lena those garbage bags on the day they met flashed in Lena’s mind and she groaned, frustrated at herself for letting her heart be so vulnerable. How could she make it stop? It seemed impossible to keep Kara out of the walls Lena suffocated behind, and as they cracked around her, she wasn’t sure how much longer they would hold. She sighed and pressed off of the door, intent on washing both her arousal and her… admiration for Kara down the drain of a cool shower. </p><hr/><p>Lena searched up cake recipes and thought a nice lemon drizzle cake would go well with beach life. She had never made it before but had followed the instructions to the letter. The cake looked good, but Lena couldn’t even check it to see if it was or not because that would defeat the purpose of having made it for Kara. She should have made two. She hoped it wasn’t terrible. That would probably put her even more in debt to Kara. A reverse favor. </p><p>As it was, Lena had resolved to give Kara the cake, leave, and then cut all ties. She couldn’t handle getting distracted while she was supposed to be on vacation. She was supposed to be focusing on herself and her needs (whatever that meant), not thirsting after the kindest, most beautiful woman she’d ever met who had a smile like sunshine and the body of a goddess. </p><p>She had to cut ties as soon as possible, and the cake was her final goodbye before she would start to ignore Kara as much as she could, favors be damned.</p><p>She was dressed in jeans and a silk blouse, and she didn’t have any heels to give her a height advantage, and Lena missed how her business attire made her feel like she was wearing armor.</p><p>She was not prepared for battle, in a boardroom or with a cute blonde, but regardless of that fact, Lena took a deep breath, grabbed the cake, and squared her shoulders before heading over to Kara’s house. </p><p>Kara had already replaced the flowers she had pulled a couple of days before, and the new purple ones thrived the same as everything around Kara seemed to. Was she naturally good at taking care of everything? Lena shook her head. It didn’t matter. She was going to give Kara the cake, and they would never talk again if she could help it. </p><p>Lena knocked gently on the door so as not to chip any more paint, and Kara opened it, confused at first, but then beaming. “Lena!” </p><p>“Hi,” Lena breathed. Kara wore a knee-length yellow sundress, and her hair was plaited with loose curls hanging down her back. The few flyaway hairs she had only added to the sunshine effect, and for the first time in her life, Lena wanted the bask in the light of the sun. </p><p>“Is that cake?” Kara asked, breaking Lena from her fog. </p><p>“Yes, I made it for you as a thank you for helping me with… everything. So, we’re even now, right?” Lena asked. </p><p>“Not even close!” Kara grinned. Lena’s face fell. She should have known Kara was after something after all. “We’ll be even after you come in and eat it with me! C’mon, I just put on a pot of coffee!” Kara seized the cake and walked over to her kitchen island, leaving Lena alone in the open doorway with no other choice than to follow. </p><p>“Oh!” Kara said, “let me give you a tour! I didn’t get a chance last time you were here!” </p><p>There were only two more rooms other than the open space kitchen/living room and bathroom. </p><p>Lena pretended not to look too interested in Kara’s queen-sized bed, with fluffy white sheets that she wanted to wrinkle. She pretended that she didn’t find Kara’s blush adorable when Lena noticed the multitude of glow-in-the-dark star stickers Kara had fastened to the ceiling of her office, or that the old type-writer that sat on Kara’s desk next to her laptop wasn’t entirely endearing. </p><p>“I write about space,” Kara explained, and then Lena’s worldview tilted so completely she thought she would topple over. </p><p>She had read dozens of articles published under the elusive DNVRS. K, but she’d never met them in person. They’d written amazing astronomy papers and had helped propel science forward, just as Lena had. Sure enough, every article Lena had read by DNVRS. K was lined in a perfect row on the bottom shelf of the bookcase. </p><p>“Kara Danvers. Astronomer and gardener extraordinaire,” Lena murmured. Kara ducked her head in a failed attempt to hide her blush and reached for Lena’s hand to pull her back to the kitchen. </p><p>Kara could live anywhere. She was a well respected (and well paid) scientist, and she chose to stay in Midvale of all places, in a house that had barely enough room for her. She let go of Lena’s hand and smiled before she walked away. </p><p>Kara pulled plates down from her cupboard before slicing them both a large piece of cake and pouring them each a mug of coffee. “What do you take in it?” Kara asked.</p><p>“Nothing.” </p><p>Kara’s nose wrinkled, and she didn’t say anything, but Lena saw the abhorrent amount of sugar Kara added to her own coffee and knew when she was being judged. She took a sip anyway. She could always rely on coffee to give her an edge. </p><p>Kara stabbed her fork into the cake and tore off a large bite that Lena couldn’t have chewed. </p><p>“I should warn you that it is my first-” Lena said as Kara stuffed a mouthful of the fluffy yellow cake into her cheeks. Kara’s eyes widened and then closed as she sighed and chewed her first bite, immediately going for another. </p><p>"Oh my god, <em> Lena," </em>Kara moaned around her second mouthful of lemon cake. Lena almost felt like she should leave the room to give Kara a moment with the cake, but she didn't want to miss any other way Kara might moan her name (even if it was because of the cake). God, when did she become so pathetic? Her white-knuckle grip on the mug was almost painful as she watched Kara lick the icing off of her fork. </p><p>“Aren’t you going to try it?” Kara asked around a mouthful, prompting Lena to put her mug down and stop staring at Kara’s mouth. </p><p>Lena had to admit to herself that she had done a good job. It was sweet with the right amount of zest and density. </p><p>It was only cake, but Lena had accomplished something outside of L-Corp, outside of science and business, or being a Luthor. She’d done something just for the fun of it, and she <em> enjoyed </em>it. Lena enjoyed baking and gardening and walking to the small grocer to talk with Bonnie. There was no pressure of monetization or profit. Instead, Lena was left with all the room she had never had to find out what she actually enjoyed. </p><p>And what she enjoyed about Midvale most of all, above the neighborly waving, and the quaint little shops, or the people who acted as if they’d known Lena for years, was Kara Danvers. Kara Danvers who was too kind, and too genuine, and too soft for a Luthor to love. </p><p>That was it. Lena would have to move somewhere far away from Midvale and Kara, and away from her sapling daisy flowers. </p><p>“I have to go,” Lena said as she put down her fork with a jarring clink. </p><p>“What?” Kara said. “Where?” </p><p>“I… need to go… bag those hedge clippings.” Lena pointed over her shoulder and turned to the front door to escape. </p><p>“Oh, sorry! I forgot! Alex brought her puppy over and I got distracted halfway through. Let me help you.” Kara abandoned her food to follow Lena. </p><p>“It’s really fine, Kara. I can do it alone,” Lena said. </p><p>“Yeah, I know you <em> can, </em> but you don’t <em> have </em>to.” </p><p>And Kara’s smile was too bright and too earnest, and Lena was too weak to refuse. </p><p>So Lena was back where she started; watching Kara’s unfair muscles pull and flex as she bent to pick up handfuls of shrubbery, putting them in seagull-proof garbage bags that Lena hadn’t even been aware of, all the while wearing that yellow sundress that stole Lena’s breath and heart at the same time. </p><p>It wasn’t fair. It really wasn’t, so Lena did the only thing she knew how. She left. She left Kara standing in the fading sunlight in her pretty dress and beautiful hair, picking up trimmings with her gardening gloves on, and staring after Lena with more concern than Lena had experienced in any and all moments of her life before meeting Kara. </p><hr/><p>Lena sat at her kitchen table an hour later, researching houses she could buy on the other side of the world. She thought London might be nice, or Ireland, where she could return to her roots. No matter what little town or city she researched, nothing seemed to call to her as Midvale did. In a few short months, without Lena even realizing, it had become home. </p><p>Still, she couldn’t handle living next door to Kara. </p><p>The wind picked up outside, and the white fluffy clouds from that afternoon had turned into an angry purple that seemed to be in a war of ferocity with the green sea below.</p><p>Lena hoped her little daisies would make it through the storm. It didn’t matter either way. She was moving. They would be left behind. Would Kara take care of them? </p><p>Just as she was about to click on the next page of Irish mansions she could buy, there was a surge of power before everything went dark. The silence was filled only by the beginning pelts of rain against her windows. </p><p>“Great,” Lena grumbled. She didn’t have a flashlight. </p><p>As if aware of Lena’s plight, there was a knock at her front door, and Lena didn’t even need to answer it to know who it was. </p><p>Kara had swapped the dress for jeans and an NCU hoodie, and she shuffled from foot to foot holding several white candles. The rain was barely heavy enough to leave droplets on her glasses, but Lena still remembered the water droplet from the day Kara had trimmed the hedges, and how she’d longed to follow it. How she never could.</p><p>“What’re you doing?” Lena asked.</p><p>“The power’s out. I thought you might not have any candles,” Kara lifted the several candles and Lena was about to turn her away, she was, but then the sky cracked in a roar of thunder and the rain began to come down in sheets. </p><p>Lena grabbed Kara by the chest of her sweater and yanked her into the house. </p><p>Seconds ticked by as Kara lit the candles with a lighter from the pocket, but having the dim orange glow did not improve Lena’s mood. </p><p>“Why are you doing this?” Lena demanded, trying hard not to get distracted by Kara’s askew glasses or the pinkness in her cheeks. </p><p>“What do you mean?”</p><p>“I<em> mean </em>what do you want from me?”</p><p>“I don’t want anything from you, Lena. I want to be your friend.” </p><p>“My friend?” Lena couldn’t believe that. Nobody ever wanted to be friends with a Luthor, and Lena leveled Kara with all the suspicion she’d been trying to hide. Kara blushed before she looked down. She mumbled something that Lena didn’t quite catch. </p><p>“I can’t hear you,” Lena complained. She was tired of whatever secrets Kara had and she wanted answers before she left. </p><p>Kara took a deep breath, straightened her shoulders, and adjusted her glasses as if that would help her gain some semblance of confidence. “Okay, <em> maybe </em> more than a friend, but I didn’t know how to say anything! I don’t even know if you like women, and Alex says my gaydar is beyond dysfunctional, but then she told me to go for it, so I thought maybe you might like me, maybe. But you’re so, I mean… have you <em> seen </em>yourself?” </p><p>“What?” Lena asked. She felt frozen. Of all the schemes she’d imagined Kara to have, a crush wasn’t what she’d suspected. She hadn’t even entertained the thought. She blinked at Kara, unable to think of anything to say. </p><p>“I just- you were so cute fighting those stupid seagulls every week,” Kara grinned slightly as Lena tried to glare at her for bringing it up. “Then I got to know you a little better, and you’re so kind. Then you smiled, like actually smiled, not that little fake polite one you do to impasse people, but actually smiled, and-” Kara paused as her cheeks flooded with blush “-I only want to get to know you better, Lena, that’s all. I promise.” Kara drew a little X over her heart and lifted her hand in some sort of salute. </p><p>“Kara,” Lena could only whisper her name, but her voice cracked. Nobody had looked at Lena like that in such a long time that she’d forgotten what it looked like. She’d forgotten what it felt like to fall for someone, but like any good gardener, Kara had waited Lena out. Lena fidgeted with her fingers. </p><p>Kara bit her bottom lip before she put the lighter on the counter with a small clack, and bathed in the orange glow that surrounded them, Kara was more beautiful than any sunset Lena’d ever seen. </p><p>Lena had taken her hair out after she’d stormed off earlier, and it hung in loose waves around her face. Kara reached up, timid, to caress a lock of it before tucking it behind Lena’s ear. She tucked her fingers under Lena’s chin to tilt her head up before she said, “I really like you, Lena. That’s all.” </p><p>Lena didn’t remember putting her hands on Kara’s hips to tug her closer, but they had a mind of their own. With their torsos flush together, Lena rose to her tiptoes to press her lips to Kara’s the way she’d wanted to for months. </p><p>Their mouths met in a hard press, Kara kissing her as if they were lovers long lost. Kara gasped and Lena took the opportunity to deepen the kiss, breathing fast and hard for each small moment their lips separated. Lena was rough and claiming, but Kara gave as good as she got. Kara tangled her fingers into Lena’s hair and made a fist to hold Lena still, while her other hand slid up Lena’s ribs to rest below her breast. </p><p>“I… really… like you… too,” Lena panted between kisses. She slid her hands around Kara’s hips to grab her ass, and Kara groaned, bucking into Lena as a result. </p><p>Lena gasped as her back was pressed into the cool surface of the fridge, and Kara moved her kisses from Lena’s mouth to her jaw and neck, biting lightly in between. “God, Kara.” </p><p>“Is this okay?” Kara pulled back to ask. “We can stop if you-” </p><p>“Don’t you dare,” Lena huffed before Kara grinned at her and Lena pulled her back down into another kiss. </p><p>Lena wrapped one leg around Kara’s in search of any sort of friction it might give her, but Kara slid her hands under Lena’s thighs and lifted her from the ground completely. Pressed so close with Kara’s muscled form, Lena groaned into Kara’s mouth before she was deposited onto the counter. </p><p>Lena tried to focus through the kisses Kara was leaving on her neck and pulled at Kara’s slightly damp hoodie. </p><p>With a final kiss, Kara backed up and started to bring the hoodie over her head, only for her glasses to get tangled. Lena chuckled and reached over to pull the glasses out of Kara’s hair, put them on the counter, and then helped pull Kara’s sweater the rest of the way off. </p><p>Skin. Kara’s skin was golden-toned and smooth everywhere, and Lena had to stifle a moan when she noticed that Kara wasn’t wearing a bra. </p><p>Lena dragged Kara closer by the hem of her jeans, and then gently brushed kara’s soft hair away from her chest and over her shoulders. Kara was a delicious mix of soft curves and hard muscle, and Lena leaned in to press a light kiss to Kara’s collarbone, disbelieving still that Kara might want this too.</p><p>“You’re so beautiful,” Lena whispered, in awe of the sight before her. </p><p>Before Kara could respond, Lena cupped Kara’s cheeks and kissed her slowly, with as much tenderness as she could, before she let her hands drop to Kara’s shoulders. She traced the muscles of Kara’s arms with all the reverence she had for Kara until she got to Kara’s hands. </p><p>Lena caressed up Kara’s stomach, kissing a path across Kara’s chest until her mouth met her hands in the middle. She enveloped one of Kara’s puckered nipples in her mouth while she massaged Kara’s other breast with the palm of her hand, enjoying the way Kara’s breath hitched. </p><p>“Lena,” Kara choked out, “I want to see you.” </p><p>Lena bit down just enough to make Kara gasp before she pulled away. </p><p>“What do you want to see?” Lena asked. Kara bit her lip as her eyes glazed over before peering down between their bodies as if Lena was the most decadent thing Kara had ever seen. </p><p>“Gosh, Lena I- anything you wanna show me.” </p><p>Odd that Kara could say ‘gosh’ and still be so hot, but Lena wasn’t complaining. </p><p>“Bedroom?” Lena asked. She wasn’t opposed to kitchen sex, but she planned to take her time with Kara, and that required a more comfortable setting. </p><p>Kara growled out in complaint but backed away before offering her hand to help Lena off of the counter. Kara had the presence of mind to blow out all candles but one, which she brought with them.</p><p>Kara didn’t let go of Lena’s hand on their way up to the master bedroom. Even in the throes of passion, Kara was sweet. </p><p>Once in the room, Kara set the candle on the dresser before her arms enveloped Lena from behind, her hands on Lena’s hips, fingers slipping underneath the material of her shirt. </p><p>“Can I take this off?” Kara asked. </p><p>Lena nodded, soon frustrated by the slowness with which Kara unbuttoned her silk blouse. Lena tilted her neck to the side when Kara nuzzled into it, and Lena began to breathe heavier as Kara kissed below her ear. The slower Kara’s fingers moved, the faster Lena’s breathing became until Kara pulled her blouse open, and the soft material slid down Lena's arms and into a pool on the floor. </p><p>Kara kissed Lena’s shoulder then bit her neck from behind, causing Lena to gasp and grind back into Kara’s hips. </p><p>Kara’s hands slid up Lena’s stomach, over the black lace of her bra where she teased Lena’s nipples through the material. Lena pressed her thighs together, wanting so much to turn around and tug Kara to the bed, but determined to take her time and enjoy any slow torture Kara wanted to give her. </p><p>Kara pulled her hands around to unclasp Lena’s bra, which she discarded somewhere near the shirt. </p><p>As Kara’s bare chest pressed into Lena’s back, they both sighed, and then Kara was undoing the button to Lena’s Jeans. </p><p>Kara slid one hand up to cup Lena’s full breasts in turns, while her other slid into Lena’s panties to find how wet and needy Kara had made her. </p><p>Lena tossed her head back onto Kara’s shoulder with a groan as Kara dragged her long fingers through Lena’s wetness and began to make languid circles around her clit. </p><p>Lena’s inner thighs twitched, and her knees threatened to give out, but Kara’s arm wrapped around her like a safety line, letting Lena lose herself in a sea of bliss. </p><p>Lena ground her hips but no matter the angle, her pants were too much of a barrier for her to get the deep pressure she needed, and Kara seemed fully aware as she chuckled into Lena’s ear. Lena whined, already so aroused but unable to find enough friction. </p><p>Kara pulled her hand out of Lena’s pants and drew it up to Lena’s mouth, who took in Kara’s fingers without question. They both groaned, and Lena sucked Kara’s fingers until Kara pulled them away, leaving only the taste of Lena’s arousal behind. </p><p>In another rumble of thunder, Kara grasped Lena’s hips and turned her around to kiss her deeply while they both worked Lena’s pants over the curve of her hips and to the ground. The slick between Lena’s panties and her skin drove her mad with arousal, and she wanted nothing more than to be rid of the barrier. The cool air was a stark contrast to the heat of her arousal and it caused Lena to gasp as her underwear was also pushed down her legs. </p><p>Kara leaned down to kiss Lena so fiercely that Lena had to tangle her hand in Kara’s hair while the other grasped around her shoulders as Kara pushed them toward the bed. </p><p>The back of Lena’s thighs hit the mattress and she sat, pulling Kara forward by the hem of her pants. She whispered, “Can I take these off?”</p><p>Kara nodded, letting Lena undo the button and zipper. Kara’s jeans fell from her hips revealing purple boxers with little avocados on them. Lena puffed out an airy laugh because even as the most beautifully sculpted person Lena had ever seen, Kara still found a way to let her dorky self shine through. </p><p>Kara tugged her boxers down her toned legs, letting Lena appreciate how Kara’s thighs and calves flexed as she kicked her clothes to the side. </p><p>With immediate urgency, Lena’s hands pressed into the hard muscle that decorated Kara’s stomach, following her hands with her mouth. Kara’s abs twitched beneath Lena’s attention, before Kara’s body began to sink lower to the floor. </p><p>“What’re you doing?” Lena whispered in a daze as Kara’s stomach and chest were lowered too far for her to kiss. </p><p>“Let me show you what I’ve been wanting to do to you since the second I saw you,” Kara said, surprisingly sure, from her position between Lena’s legs. </p><p>Lena groaned and nodded, reaching to the head of her bed to grab a decorative pillow that Kara could lean on. Kara smiled up at Lena, placing a gentle kiss on her knee before settling the pillow beneath her. </p><p>Kara caressed the back of Lena’s calf from her ankle to her knee, then back down to lift Lena’s leg over her shoulder. Kara kissed and nipped, glancing from Lena’s eyes to her dripping core as she bit a slow path up Lena’s inner thigh. </p><p>With Kara’s eyes tracing over her, Lena thought she might have felt insecure, but the way Kara’s eyes darkened, and the way she gazed at Lena with hunger in her eyes, Lena had never felt more desirable or more beautiful than she did under Kara’s heady scrutiny. Kara’s eyes trailed fire in their wake, and instead of an all-consuming blaze, Kara left behind warmth so comfortable Lena felt she might melt in it.</p><p>As soon as Kara got close to the apex of Lena’s thighs, she pulled back to lick a trail down Lena’s other leg and began another long journey of nips and kisses. </p><p>Lena’s thighs quivered hard enough for her toes to flex by the time Kara had both of Lena’s thighs over her shoulders, moaning as she licked into Lena’s clit in one broad stroke. </p><p>Lena’s head fell back as Kara finally, <em> finally, </em>began to circle her clit, learning which speeds and patterns caused Lena to pant the hardest. If the mischievousness in Kara’s eyes was any indication, she was giving Lena just less than what she needed on purpose.</p><p>Kara would build Lena up so her stomach would coil and her inner walls would clench around nothing, but then, as Lena was about to succumb to bliss, Kara would pull back, would ease Lena away from the edge with small chuckles, leaving Lena to whine and writhe above her. </p><p>“Kara,” Lena breathed out as Kara pulled her away from the edge for the fifth time, “Kara, <em> please. </em>”</p><p>Lena was not the sort of woman to beg for what she wanted. She walked into every room as if she owned it and demanded. But Kara had worked Lena up so thoroughly that her commanding exterior melted away and she got lost in her thoughts of need. </p><p>Kara, always eager to help, dove back in with vigor so strong that Lena’s thighs flexed to cage Kara’s head as Lena rode out the waves of pleasure Kara’s tongue created. With her head thrown back as her moans mixed with the heavy rain pattering against the windows, Kara sucked Lena’s clit and circled it with her tongue until Lena came. </p><p>Kara’s calloused hands squeezed Lena’s inner thighs before traveling over the stretch marks on Lena’s hips and lower stomach with reverence Lena had only ever seen someone admire art with. Kara’s mouth trailed up the softness of Lena’s stomach, her hands palming Lena’s heaving breasts as she paused to kiss every freckle splattered across Lena’s skin. </p><p>Lena had been sated, and well, but her inner walls still throbbed with need for something they hadn't been given, and Lena was left with an emptiness there that she wanted to fill with Kara. Her head fell back as Kara kissed the freckle on Lena’s neck, and though her limbs were left boneless, Lena still wanted more. </p><p>Kara gently guided Lena back to lie on the bed before straddling Lena’s hips and leaning down to kiss her. At the taste of her own arousal, Lena moaned, grabbing Kara’s sides and rolling them both over. </p><p>“You’re a tease,” Lena said, and Kara’s grin confirmed that she already knew that. Lena bit Kara’s grin away, licking into her mouth to silence any response Kara might have. </p><p>“Let me make it up to you,” Kara said as she tapped Lena’s thighs to signal that Lena should straddle Kara. Lena followed the instruction and they both sat up, Lena’s arm around Kara’s shoulders and her wetness sticking to both of their thighs. “Do you have anywhere to be tomorrow?” </p><p>“No, why?”</p><p> “You might have trouble getting there,” Kara said, and Lena wasn’t sure if Kara meant that they would be up late, or if she meant Lena’s legs would be too sore to walk, but she wanted to find out if Kara’s confidence was deserved. </p><p>Kara’s hands squeezed Lena’s ass, causing her to thrust forward into Kara’s stomach, where she left a string of wetness when she pulled back. </p><p>“Gosh, Lena, you’re perfect,” Kara whispered as her hands slid up Lena’s back to tangle into her hair. “So beautiful.” </p><p>Lena could only blush, for the first time she didn’t bother trying to hide it. Kara’s smile was gentle as she caressed Lena’s cheek, then Lena’s collarbone, down between their bodies and into wet heat. </p><p>Lena gasped as Kara entered her. She wanted to look down at the fullness she felt and see how many fingers Kara was using, but Kara’s other hand was still tangled in Lena’s hair, pulling her head back as Kara began to pump her fingers in and out of Lena’s core. </p><p>Lena ground her hips forward into Kara’s hand and Kara followed the rhythm of her body as if Lena was an instrument Kara knew intimately, all the while tugging Lena’s hair and watching with wonder. </p><p>The muscles of Kara’s back flexed under Lena’s palms and Lena fell forward, burying her face in Kara’s neck to try to stifle her moaning. </p><p>“Don’t do that. I want to hear you,” Kara said, pulling Lena’s hair and making her groan louder. Kara’s eyes flashed with wicked delight as she pulled Lena’s hair again, gaining another guttural moan when Lena’s inner walls clenched around Kara’s pumping fingers. Like a champion claiming their prize, Kara bent forward to lick and then bite Lena’s breast hard enough to leave a mark.</p><p>Lena whimpered, too busy grinding her hips and enjoying how Kara was reading her body to care enough to feel embarrassed.  </p><p>“Where can I leave marks on you?” Kara whispered into Lena’s ear. Lena almost came right then, but Kara stilled her fingers enough to ward it off, which was both a blessing and a curse. </p><p>“You’re supposed to be making up for teasing me,” Lena complained as she bucked her hips back into Kara’s hand. Kara chuckled and gave Lena an open-mouthed kiss, reminding Lena of the other things Kara wanted to do with her mouth. “Anywhere. Mark me wherever you want.” </p><p>At Kara’s winning smile, Lena knew she had given the right answer, though some small part of her brain knew that in her blissful delirium, she might regret saying it later. But the thought of someone seeing marks on Lena’s neck, the thought of them knowing it was Kara who put them there, made Lena feel claimed and connected in a way she never had and she wasn't one to shy away from an unexpected kink. The thrill of arousal that rushed down her spine to settle low in her belly far outweighed any embarrassment she might face later. </p><p>Lena wanted documentation of Kara written across her body for as long as possible. She wanted proof, evidence; as much as any scientist would. And Kara didn’t disappoint. As she fucked Lena with her fingers, Kara’s mouth latched into Lena’s chest like a vice, leaving splotchy red patches in her wake; the pain of them feeding into the pleasure building within Lena’s body. </p><p>Kara let go of Lena’s hair with one final tug so she could reach down and rub Lena’s clit while her other fingers continued to pick up their pace, and when Kara bit the pulse point of Lena’s neck, promising to leave behind an unhideable mark, Lena had to hold onto Kara for dear life as she came so hard around Kara’s fingers, she wondered if she’d be chasing that same high for the rest of her life. </p><p>Kara relaxed her motions, but she didn’t stop until Lena stopped trembling around her. Kara pressed kisses to Lena’s temple, stroked her sides with a soft touch, and looked at Lena as if given a gift to treasure. </p><p>Lena pushed Kara to lay back on the bed, and they adjusted until they could lie together comfortably. Lena’s whole body was heavy and weightless at the same time, and she felt tethered to consciousness only by Kara’s strong arms, which held Lena to her chest. </p><p>Kara continuously rubbed Lena’s back or kissed her hair as they caught their breath, and slowly, Lena regained some semblance of control over her body. </p><p>Lena lifted her head to press kisses on the underside of Kara’s jaw, content with the sigh that she heard. </p><p>For however Kara had sated Lena, Lena wanted to reciprocate it tenfold. She wanted the image of Kara writhing on Lena’s clean sheets burned into her memory. She wanted to know what Kara’s stomach looked like when she came, what Kara would sound like. Lena wanted to know if Kara liked her hair pulled, if she liked eye-contact, if she liked it gentle or rough, or if she looked as beautiful getting fucked as she did doing everything else. </p><p>Lena rolled slightly, securing one of Kara’s legs open with one of her own as her hand trailed down Kara’s chest to find that Kara’s arousal had spread to her thighs and leaked down to the sheets below them. </p><p>Lena pressed down on Kara’s clit, earning a deep, throaty groan in response. She immediately wanted to hear it again, and as often as possible. </p><p>Lena bent to suck Kara’s chest, zeroing in on her nipple as Lena began to stroke between Kara’s legs. Lena pulled away to blow on the wetness she left behind on Kara’s chest. </p><p><em> “Lena,” </em>Kara said in a plea that Lena understood as a desire beyond words, and what kind of monster would she be if she ignored it? </p><p>She decided to get payback instead. The slow ministrations of her fingers weren’t enough for any real pleasure, only enough to cause Kara’s stomach to twitch. </p><p>“You’re so wet,” Lena whispered. Kara bit her lip to stifle her whimper, but it hardly worked. Kara’s hands fisted in the sheets around them, spreading her legs more to encourage Lena’s hand. Lena smirked but wasn’t done with her revenge. </p><p>“Tell me what you’d like, Kara. I want to hear you beg for it,” Lena whispered before she stilled all movement with her hand. </p><p>Kara whined out a complaint at the loss of sensation before she blinked at Lena and seemed to process what she said. </p><p>“Please, Lena. I want… your fingers-” Kara blushed an even deeper shade of adorable red as Lena waited for her to finish “- I want you to fuck me with your fingers- ah!” Kara’s sentence was cut off with a moan as Lena thrust the requested fingers into her, pumping them at a speed that Kara’s hips struggled to match. She scissored her fingers within Kara, and every time they bottomed out, Lena would flick Kara’s clit with her thumb. </p><p>The sounds she was pulling from Kara made Lena’s chest swell, with pride or admiration, she wasn’t sure, but she loved the noises Kara made. </p><p>“God, Lena! Y-yes!” Kara struggled to pant out between moans. Her eyes rolled back and Lena began to kiss Kara’s chest once more. She wanted to please Kara; to make her feel better than she ever had before. </p><p>“Tell me how good it feels,” Lena commanded, her voice hoarse with arousal. </p><p>Though Kara was a wordsmith and a scientist, Lena had reduced her to monosyllabic words. “S-so good. Don’t stop. Please don’t <em> oh god, </em>don’t stop.” </p><p>Kara’s orgasm washed over her body in waves and Lena enjoyed every second of seeing the way Kara’s muscles flexed beneath her, but she was apt at following orders, and she did not stop. Lena pulled her hand away for a moment to add another finger and thrust back into Kara with the same rapid pace she had used before, determined to bring Kara into a second release. </p><p>Kara moaned her name as if chanting a prayer. Kara opened her eyes, looking from Lena’s face to the way Lena was fucking her and though Lena would never admit it, the fact that Kara came a second time from watching herself get fucked stroked Lena’s ego more than it should have. </p><p>Kara wrapped her arms around Lena’s body, clinging to her for some sort of tether as she rode Lena’s fingers into oblivion. </p><p>After the fluttering around Lena’s fingers stopped, she pulled them out, intent upon bringing them to her mouth to clean them off, but her wrist was caught before she could. She looked up to find Kara watching her, and without looking away, Kara brought Lena’s hand to her mouth and sucked her own arousal from them before promptly closing her eyes and snuggling deeper into Lena’s pillows. </p><p>Lena blinked down at Kara, wondering what sort of enigmatic person could wear avocado underwear but also do something like <em> that.  </em></p><p>She let herself collapse on top of Kara once more before pulling her comforter around them. She would allow herself a few minutes of indulgence before she had to clean up, and Kara was too comfortable to leave. </p><p>Kara’s breath slowed down into a steady rhythm that threatened to pull Lena into sleep as well.</p><p>Though Lena’s legs were wobbly and promised to be sore the next day, she kicked them over the side of the bed without waking Kara and threw on the loose t-shirt she used as pajamas. She took the candle and padded over to her bathroom to pee and clean herself up.</p><p>Lena went to the kitchen to get water and washed a bunch of grapes for them to share. </p><p>Sitting on the edge of the bed, Lena gently stroked Kara’s cheek to wake her. </p><p>Kara grumbled before she pouted and opened her eyes. It was the most adorable thing Lena had ever seen. </p><p>“I brought you some water and some food,” Lena said. Kara lifted her head, only frowning a little at the grapes. Lena chuckled and handed the glass of water to Kara and she sat up, then placed the grapes between them. </p><p>Maybe the silence between them should have been awkward, but with the rain and the low rumble of thunder fading away, Lena was simply comfortable. </p><p>“I put out some things in the bathroom for you to clean yourself up with,” Lena interrupted their silence after they were done eating. </p><p>“Mmn, I don’t wanna get up,” Kara complained. </p><p>“I know, but you’ll feel better tomorrow if you do.” </p><p>Kara grumbled again, pouting harder and Lena leaned in to kiss it away before she could even think about it. </p><p>“I’ll be here when you get back. I mean, if you <em>want </em>to come back. You don’t have to-”</p><p>“Hey,” Kara interrupted Lena with another kiss. “Of course I’m coming back. The most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen just invited me to, so yeah, I’ll be right back.” </p><p>Kara sauntered out of the room completely naked, and Lena’s eyes followed her ass until it was out of view. </p><p>Lena settled into the bed, leaving room and trying in vain not to let her heart swell when Kara returned. </p><p>Lena was glad for her power to be out because it hid how red her cheeks got when Kara called her beautiful and kissed her goodnight. </p><p>It couldn’t hide how Lena reached for Kara though, or how Kara’s hand was already there, waiting to pull Lena closer. </p><hr/><p>Lena woke to something tickling her nose and a deep pressure on her chest. At some point, Lena had rolled off of Kara and onto her back and they had switched positions. In the golden light that streamed in through the curtains, the freckles across Kara’s nose popped. Her honey hair was a mess, but it still looked good splayed across Lena’s chest and sheets. </p><p>Kara’s face was always kind, always serene, even in sleep, and Lena thought that spoke to how genuine Kara was as a person. Sleeping didn’t expose Kara’s vulnerability, Kara was simply kind. </p><p>Lena rubbed slow circles into Kara’s back, content to lay there all day. Her legs were wonderfully tender, and her lips still felt kiss-swollen. She blushed at the marks that littered her chest, wondering just how far up they went. </p><p>Even though Lena’s arm tingled so badly it hurt, she didn’t have the heart to wake Kara. She was too peaceful, too beautiful to ruin so early in the morning. Kara glowed, and if people could be made of sunshine, Kara would have been one of them. </p><p>Lena gently traced Kara’s jaw, then her lips, her cheekbone, and across her eyebrow, wondering how Kara got the small scar there. Kara hummed and smiled in her sleep before her breathing returned to a slow rhythm. </p><p>Lena had moved to Midvale to take a step back from all the paths of life she’d been forced into. She was meant to find what she had been missing, what she truly wanted, and for the first time, with Kara in her arms in a town that was built on free favors, Lena thought she finally, <em> finally, </em>found it. </p><p>All those times she’d spent at boarding school while her peers packed to go home for the holidays, every time her colleagues’ families showed up at work to surprise them, every bouquet on desks that weren’t Lena’s, and every single person who ever treated her like a Luthor before treating her like a person, it all faded away under the light of what Midvale had given her. </p><p>Midvale had given Lena the patience to grow real living flowers, had shown her how much she liked to bake, had taught her that it was okay to do something simply because she liked it, not for profit. And most of all, Midvale had proved to Lena the people like Kara existed; people who helped where they could, who would care for a perfect stranger like they were a best friend, and bring over seagull proof garbage bags for no other reason than because someone needed them. </p><p>In that moment, Lena felt, for the first time she could remember as if she were home, and maybe she still didn’t know exactly what she needed or what to do with her company, but Lena knew what she wanted, and a large part of it was asleep in her arms. </p><p>Lena wanted to stay. </p>
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